Israel Retaliates Against War Crimes Investigation, Attacks AFP

Israel is not known for subtle diplomatic skills. That is blatantly obvious in the Zionist government’s heavy-handed response to that state of Palestine’s accepting the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and acceding to the Rome Statute at the beginning of January, in an effort to obtain justice in the face of the ongoing Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people.

The subsequent announcement on January 16 by ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of a preliminary examination of the situation in Palestine led a swarm of outraged Israeli and American officials to condemn the efforts and initiate reprisals against both Palestine and the war crimes tribunal itself. And when AMERICAN FREE PRESS submitted some tough questions about it to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., the official spokesman responded in a manner that was, well, most undiplomatic.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas long hassought to steer a middle course between theHamas Party that governs Gaza and the Israeligovernment. Because Israel refused to resumepeace negotiations with Palestine unless Abbasrepresented all Palestinians, he formed a unitygovernment with Hamas. Then Israel condemnedhim for “dealing with terrorists” and withdrewagain, demonstrating bad faith. That, and the brutalmilitary attacks initiated against Gaza by Israellast summer, apparently led Abbas to conclude finallythat the Israelis have no intention of achievingpeace with Palestinians unless it is the “peace of the grave.”

This is the context in which Palestine, recognizedas a sovereign nation by the United Nationsand most of the world other than the United States and Israel,chose to seek help again from the ICC andaccept the Rome Statute governing war crimes,crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Ms. Bensouda will investigate whether formalcharges should be brought against Israel, althoughthe full process could take years. But even whilejustice is delayed, Palestine can use the case tobring greater international focus on the intense suffering and death inflicted by Israel on its people.

Apart from public tirades by Israeli officials, theZionist government—like all extortionists—retaliated immediately, cutting off a $125 millionmonthly tax transfer to Palestine, contrary to legalagreements, in order to undermine the Palestiniangovernment and its ability to pay employees. Furtherretaliation was promised by the Jewish juvenile delinquents.

Israeli officials also seek to destroy the independentICC, demanding that the Zionist clientstates of Japan, Canada, Australia and Germany violatetreaty obligations and stop funding the court.Paranoid Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermanalleged the ICC investigation is “solely motivatedby political anti-Israel considerations,” and threatened that Israel would “dismantle this court.”

The American Israel Public Affairs Committeeand Zionist sycophants in Congress are demandingthat $500 million in annual U.S. aid to Palestinebe cut off. Some “peacemakers.” The ObamaWhite House did not respond to AMERICAN FREE PRESS requests for a statement.

Because Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. RonDermer and embassy spokesman Aaron Seguiwere unavailable for interviews, this reporter submitted10 questions to the spokesman on January 22.

Segui’s January 23 response was astonishing andsadly stereotypical. Asked about Israel’s latestwords and actions regarding the above situation,and about a long list of Israelis’ genocidal activitiesin Palestine, no statesman-like, reasoned responseresulted. Instead, Segui replied: “We respond toquestions from real press and real journalists. Wedo not deal with any of those coming from pathetic, cheap anti-Israeli propaganda platforms.”

AFP readers may wish to protest this undignifiedbehavior and support justice for beleagueredPalestinians suffering from Israeli war crimes bycontacting the Israeli embassy at (202) 364-5500. Tell the ambassador to stop the genocide.

10 Questions for the Israeli Embassy

• Here is the list of Ronald Ray’s questions for the Israeli ambassador that triggered a tizzy

1. What is the Israeli government’s view of theInternational Criminal Court (ICC)? Previously, itstated it is a “long-standing advocate” of theICC.

2. How does the Israeli government view theaccession of the Palestinian State to theRome Statute governing the ICC and thePalestinian effort to have war crimes chargesbrought against Israel and/or individual Israelis?

3. Public statements by Israeli officials, includingPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,have demonstrated extreme hostility towardall Palestinian efforts to accede to the RomeStatute and to seek an investigation into potentialIsrael war crimes committed on Palestinian territory.Why is this?

5. If Israel is guilty of no war crimes or crimesagainst humanity, why do Israeli officials actmore like playground bullies than statesmen?

6. If Israel is guilty of no war crimes or crimesagainst humanity, why is it attempting to underminethe legitimacy and even existence ofthe ICC?

7. If Israel is guilty of no war crimes or crimesagainst humanity, why has it withheld the$125 million customs payment it legally owesto the Palestinian State?

8. What is the response of the government of Israelto those who point to clear evidence thatIsrael—including the IDF and illegal Israeli“settlers” in Gaza and the West Bank—is engagingin documented acts and a program of genocideagainst the Palestinian people, including but notlimited to enclosing them in what amount to massive,open-air prison/death camps with wallsworse than those of a ghetto, topped by machinegun turrets; policies and acts of racism andapartheid; poisoning and destruction of Palestinianwater supplies; withholding of food and medicalsupplies from Palestinians; illegal naval blockadeof Gaza; deliberate killing and maiming ofmassive numbers of non-combatants, especiallyPalestinian women and children; collective punishmentof Palestinians; unprovoked kidnappingand/or murder of individual Palestinians, especiallychildren and youths; and the unjust, illegalseizure of land in Palestinian East Jerusalem, includingexpulsion of the Palestinian inhabitants,contrary to international law; etc.?Finally, although the following are not part ofmy report on the ICC issue, I would be most gratefulfor answers to the following questions, as well,if at all possible.

10. Why has the state of Israel refused toprovide a full apology or provide fullreparations to survivors and to the United Statesgovernment for its wanton and unprovoked attackon the USS Liberty in 1967, in which Israel attemptedto sink a clearly marked U.S. reconnaissanceship in a deliberate act of war against theU.S.?

Ronald L. Ray is a freelance author and an assistant editor of THE BARNES REVIEW. He is a descendant of several patriots of the American War for Independence.

Callous, disgusting murderers and total thieves and deception freaks. I hope the ICC make you give back all the LAND AND THE PALESTINIANS are given the job of clearing you guys away for refusing to live peacefully their neighbors.